The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-19

I regretted that he had Isot taken the steamer;
! but then lie rcsiscS1I that he was one OF a
| vigilance committee. sworn TO hang that adj
| mirable man. the late Commodore Cornelius
| VeCderbi L for certain practices and cruelties
| done upon the bodies of certain Storage pas
sengers by his hne, and for divers Irregular
| ties in their transportation | mention this
| fact merely to show how ~ practical and
stout a voyascr as Thatcher might have con-
founded the perpIexi,ies attending the admin
| is.ration OF a great steamship company with
| selfish greed and brutality; and that he, with
other Californians. may not have known the
fact, since recorded by the commodorc's fam
| lily clergyman, that the great millionaire was
| always true to the hymns OF his childhood
Cever1heless Thatcher found time to be
cheerful and helpful TO his fellow passengers
and even to DC so far interesting to -Yufa
Bill" the driver, as to have the box seat placed
at his disposal But" said Thatcher III some
concern, -the box seat was purchased by that
other gentleman in Sacramento. He paid ex
IRA for it, and his names on your way bill.7
That" said Yuba Bill, scornfully, don't
fetch me, even eff he chartered the whole she
bang. Look var, do you reckon I'm goin to
spile my temper by setting next To "A man
with a game eye! And such an eye. Ge-
whilliKins, Why, darn my skin, the Other
lay when We Were watering at Webster's, he
got down and passed III front of the off leader
that yer pinto colt that's Lin accustomed TO
Injins, grizzlies and buffaIo-and I'm bless IF,
when her eye tackled his, eff she didn't jist git
up and rar round that l recl1oned I'd hev to
go down AMI take them blinalers OFF from her
eyes and clap ON his But be paid his
money, and is entitle,l to his seat" persisted
Thatcher. -Mebbe he is-in the office of the
kempeny,- growled Yuba Bill; but its time
some folks knowed that out in the plains
run this yer team myself \ fact which
was self-evhlent to most of the passengers.
Il suppose his authority is "a absolute ON this
dreary waste a ship captains in mid
ocean," exclaimed Thatcher to the baleful-
eyed stranger Mr.. Wilea-whom the reader
has recosIlized-aSsented with the public side
of his face, but looked vengeance at Yuba
Bill with the other, while Thatcher, innocent
of the presence of one OF his worst enemies,
placated Bill 50 far as To restore WiIes to his
rights. Wilts thanked him. .Shall | have
the pleasure of your company far" Wiles
asked, iIsinuatinSly. To Washington" re-
Piled Thatcher, frankly. Washington is a
gay city during the session. again suggested
the stranger. I'm going ON business, slid
Thatcher. bluntIy.
\ thrilling incident occurred at Pine Tree
Crossing which did not heighton Yuba Bills
admiration of tine stranger. As Bill opened
the double locked box in the boot of the
coach-Sacrcd to Wells, Fargo & Co. 5 express
and the Overland compaHys tressures-Mr.
Wilkes perceived small, black morocco porte
manteau among the parcels "Ah, you carry
baggage there, toof' ne said, sweetly. Not
often" responded Yuba Bill, shortly. "Ah,
this then contains valuabIesE 1T belongs to
that man whose seat you've got" said Yuba
Bill, who, for insulting purposes of his own,
preferred to establish the fiction that Wilkes
interlopcr, and Of he reckons, in a
sorter mixed kenpcny like this, To lock up
his portmantle, ! don't know who's business
it is. Whol' continued Bill, Iashing himself
into a simulated rage, who in blank is run
ming this yer team. Hey! Mebbe you think,
sittin' up thar the box seat, you are.
Mebbc you think you kin round corners
with that thar eye AMI kin pull up for teams
round corners on down grades mile ahead.7
But here Thatcher, who, with something of
Laucclot's concern for Molred, had a noble
loi iiibSiAtiti 81
that Yuba Bill stopped
On the fourth day they struck a binding
snow storm while ascending the dreary pla-
teau that henceforward for 600 miles was To
be their roadbed. The horses, after founder
ing through the drift, gave out completely on
reaching the next station and the prospects
ahead, to all but the experienced eye, looked
doubtful. \ few passengers advised takin;,
to sledses, Others postponement of the jour
ncy until the weather changed. Yuba Bill
alone was for pressing forward they Were
Two miles more and we're on the high
grade, whar the wind is strong enough to
blow you through the windy and jist peart
enough to pack away over them cliffs every
inch of snow that falls. I'll jist skirmish
round in and out % them drifts ON these four
wheels whar We can't drag % them flat
bOttomed dry goods boxes through drift"
Bill had California whips contempt for a
sledge. But he was warmly seconded by
Thatcher, who had the next best thing to ex-
psrience, the instinct that taught him to read
character, and take advantage of another
mans experience. Them that wants to stop
kin do So said Bill authoritativeIy cutting
the Gorlian knot; them wants to take a
J.
Them us wants to go on with me and the
relay will come on Mr. WiI.s selected the
sle,l.sc and n driver. few remained for the
next stage, and Thatcher, with two others,
decided to accompany Yuba Bill These
changes took up some valuable tiD.e; and the
storm continuing, the stage under
the she'd the Passengers gathering around the
station fire; and not until after midnight did
Yula Bill put in the relays. Il wish You a
good Journey" said Wiles, as l.e drove from
the shed Eli entered. Bill voucIIsafcd no
reply, but, addressing, himself to the driver,
said curtly, as if giving an order for the de-
livcry of goods, '5hove him out nj Rawlings"
and passed ContemPtuously around to the tail
boarl of the sled, and returned to the harness
ing of his relay.
the moon c:.tac out and shonc high as Yuba
Bill once more took the reins in his hands.
The wind, which instantly attacked them a.
they reachai the level, ;ccm,l to make the
driver theory plausibi,, ami for half mile
the road bad was SWEPT clean, and FROZEN
har,L Further on tongue of snow, extend
in.; from a boyvlder Ia the right, reached
across their path to tha height of two or three
feet. Bat Nubl Iill dashed through a part
of it, and Icy s..illful maneuvering circum-
vented the rest. But as the obstacle
passed, the coach dropped with an
~,lsM ssSAM@l